Stephanie's Blog

Crochet Lite Crochet Hooks

2012-02-01T08:10:00.001-05:00

I saw these in the store a few months ago and could not even imagine what I might need one for or why I would want to have one. After seeing a post on a crochet group on Facebook (Bethintx1 Crochet Club), I realized these would be perfect for using after Brian goes to bed at night and I still want to stay up and crochet. After work, I went by my local Hobby Lobby (5.59 plus 40% off) and picked up a Size J to try. I chose the J hook since I have three different projects started with this size hook.

After fighting a few minutes getting it to light. Batteries are included, they just didn't want to work right away.

Let me just say... I LOVE THIS THING. Brian can go to sleep and I can actually turn off most of the lights in the room and still see to crochet. You have to get used to the feeling of the grip, and the yarn slides funny off the plastic, but it's awesome. I might have to invest in a few more of these to keep around.

There are several places online that have them. They are available in sizes C/2.5mm to K/6.5mm.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I am.

Another Work in Progress Finished

2012-01-30T08:31:00.003-05:00

It took me about two months of working off and on, but I finally finished a gift I was working on for Christmas.

The story behind it first. About two months ago, one of Matthew's friends (and one of the kids we like to call an "extra") was hanging out at the house. We were talking about the stuff I was crocheting and I showed him the blanket I was working on for Danielle (in purple and gold, of course).

He said that it was looked warm and that they needed something like that for their living room. Then later, I gave him one of the other afghans in the house (we have a ton) to use to sleep under that night. The next morning, he said again that they needed one for their living room.

Not sure he was asking me to make one, but I decided that it would be the perfect gift. It is warm and soft.

I was happy to be able to give this to him yesterday. And then he said if he ever convinced me to make another it would be in Alabama crimson or Duke blue. Hmm...might have created a monster. :)

It's almost done!!

2012-01-24T10:36:00.001-05:00

I have been working on this gift since before Christmas. Hoping to have it done this weekend so it can go to it's new home. I'll try to post the story behind deciding to make this when I post the picture of the completed afghan. This has been a bit of a struggle. The pattern is easy. I finally figured out that I just don't care for these two colors together. Has nothing to do with any sports team they might represent, I just don't like them next to each other. Ah, well, it's not for me and I do love the recipients. :)

And we shall try again...

2012-01-23T11:22:00.001-05:00

Guess I'm going to try this whole Blog thing again. I want to pin down my meanderings and musings about "stuff". Mostly crochet and knitting probably, but you never know what might pop up on here.

Now to figure out how to change the layout up a bit.... :)

My D-blog Entry

2010-11-09T12:15:00.002-05:00

Today is the 5th Annual D-blog Day. This year's topic is "6 Things You Want People to Know about Diabetes"..... so here we go.

No, she is not going to outgrow it. There is no cure for Type 1 diabetes. She won't get "better" by eating a better diet, taking miracle cures, exercising more, etc. She won't get "better" until we get a cure. Please understand when we say that this is our top priority with charity donations. I don't want to see my girl hooked up to an insulin pump and testing her sugar for the rest of her life.
No, she didn't get it by eating too much sugar or by having a "bad" diet or being lazy. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease. There is nothing she (or we) did that caused her to get it. Her immune system went wacky and attacked the insulin producing cells in her pancreas, and now they don't work. Not even a little bit. So she has to be on insulin 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's a fact of life.
Under control? Really? She's a teenage girl with hormones... what is control? One of the questions we get asked is "Is her diabetes under control?". In a word, no. Is it being managed? Absolutely. You don't "control" diabetes. Not in a hormonal teenager, not in a growing toddler, not in anyone. She can eat exactly the same thing (same amount and everything) twice, and her body will react to it in different ways each time. There will only be control when there is a cure.
Yes, she really can eat that. While a balanced diet is most helpful in managing Type 1 diabetes, she is not restricted on what she can eat. She can have sweets, pizza, etc. She can hang out with her friends at the mall and eat what they do. Whether she has a apple, a piece of pizza, an ear of corn, or an ice cream cone, she has to take insulin for the carbs. A carb is a carb for a Type 1 diabetic. Her insulin pump makes it easier for her to be a normal teenager.
Just because she looks "okay" doesn't mean she feels "okay". Looks can be deceiving. When her blood sugar is high or low, she feels it and it doesn't make her feel good either way. She can have a headache and have problems focusing when she her numbers are high. When they are low, she can have problems talking, thinking, may have numbness in her tongue and fingers. The lows are especially scary. Because of this she carries fast-acting sugar with her and a Glucogon shot. Ask her to show you how to use it. Hopefully you never have to, but it will mean the world to her if you care enough to ask how it works.
Learn the signs of Type 1 diabetes. Left undiagnosed and untreated, Type 1 diabetes can be deadly. From the Mayo Clinic website:

Increased thirst and frequent urination. As excess sugar builds up in your bloodstream, fluid is pulled from your tissues. This may leave you thirsty. As a result, you may drink — and urinate — more than usual.
Extreme hunger. Without enough insulin to move sugar into your cells, your muscles and organs become depleted of energy. This triggers intense hunger that may persist even after you eat. Without insulin, the sugar in your food never reaches your energy-starved tissues.
Weight loss. Despite eating more than usual to relieve hunger, you may lose weight — sometimes rapidly. Without the energy sugar supplies, your muscle tissues and fat stores may simply shrink.
Fatigue. If your cells are deprived of sugar, you may become tired and irritable.
Blurred vision. If your blood sugar level is too high, fluid may be pulled from your tissues — including the lenses of your eyes. This may affect your ability to focus clearly.

There are so many other things, and these six are in no particular order, but they are the first ones I came up with. Please, if you have questions, ask us. We would much rather you ask questions you think might be "dumb" or even "insensitive" rather than just assume you know the answer.

Wow...over a year

2010-10-04T11:12:00.003-04:00

Oh, my...where has the time gone? A year...no way. It can't have been that long since my last blog post. I think it is quite apparent I will never be a traditional blogger. I just seem to forget.

Well, let's catch up then. Danielle is a senior now. Hard to believe my baby girl is 17 and will be off to college in a year. She's currently looking at Western Carolina University, but has a couple others on her list too. She is taking several AP classes this year and that is keeping her busy with homework. She took Latin I online over the summer. For second semester she is going to take Latin II online and then an online Psychology course from the local community college. She's gotten really involved in the local theater over the summer and is a big part of the tech crew. They love having her and it's a great volunteer outlet for her. She's in her 3rd year of Quiz Bowl, 4th year of Tri-M, and is being inducted into the Beta Club this year. Senior portraits are done. Now the chore of deciding which to order. They all really turned out good, but we definitely have our favorites.

Matthew is a freshman this year. My little guy is 14 and getting taller everyday. He's doing Chess Club and Engineering Club this year at the high school level. He seems to be enjoying high school and the mix of classes he has. He is really considering taking Latin I online during second semester. He has no interest in Spanish or French and by taking these online, he can satisfy his requirement for two classes of the same foreign language. Latin will go great with his intended field of study - Herpetology - studying reptiles... *shiver*.

I'm keeping busy with knitting. I have a couple of new looms and am loving them. I did a pair of socks for Danielle and am working on some for Christmas presents. Brian and I have started going to the high school football games. I love high school football...it's so real. And we have our "extra" kids in the marching band, so we have a great reason to go. Danielle goes when she can because of theater stuff....Matthew is not interested in the least.

I guess that's a good update for now. I'll be back...but who knows when I'll actually remember to log back on. =)

And the summer is gone....

2009-08-23T17:47:00.002-04:00

At least the days of the kids being out of school are gone. The heat seems to be sticking around for a while. It was cooler than normal in June, and I guess it "IS" August.

Matthew turned 13 last Thursday. I am now blessed with two teenagers...and yes it is a blessing. Despite my ramblings some days.

Danielle will be 16 in a few weeks. Time is flying by. She wants to have a party with hot dogs and hamburgers and fixings. Seems to be pretty simple. Of course, she wants to invite 20 people. Guess I had better get myself in gear and get the house cleaned. She spent one week with a friend of hers in Pawleys Island, SC. Other than the sting by the jellyfish, I think she had a great time.

I need to get myself in gear and start working out on the Wii Fit too. That is the reason I got it. I have a plan, and hopefully I won't start making excuses to myself. Danielle has to be on the bus by 6:30 and Matthew doesn't have to be up until 7, so if I use that 1/2 hour in between to work on the Wii Fit, I should be doing good.

I am restraining myself from dragging out the suitcase and packing for my cruise in 8 weeks. It's a vacation with a great friend and a great group of people. A chance for some me time away from the kids and Brian, although I will miss them terribly.

Speaking of that cruise, we will be leaving out of Tampa and cruising to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Roatan. Looking forward to all of them, as Cozumel is the only one of those I've been to.

School starts on Tuesday and I hope I remember to take pictures of the kids. Hopefully they will humor me and let me take them.

Last Day of School

2009-06-10T13:08:00.002-04:00

Wow...where did the school year go? Yikes. I now have an official 8th grader and a Junior in high school.

Danielle got her driver's permit a few weeks ago. She's driven to the store a few times and here and there. We are all still in one piece. She gets better each time she drives so by the time next May gets here, she will be ready for her license. In NC you have to have your permit for a full year before you can get your license.

I'm going to "try" to do a better job of updating this. I'm not sure if anyone actually follows it, but it is a creative outlet of sorts.

Happy Summer everyone!!!

Ta-Da....it's finished

2009-02-04T22:51:00.002-05:00

I finally finished my Pinwheel Afghan. After a few bumps in joining the first and last panel to make a circle (if you ever decide to make one, I can tell you what NOT to do) and taking some time to figure out the best way to attach the points, I finally finished it tonight. Now Matthew and Danielle both want to claim it as theirs.

Back to school

2009-01-05T14:22:00.003-05:00

Well, it went better than expected this morning. I thought I would have to fight to get them up and moving after two full weeks off. Danielle was actually up in time to test her sugar AND eat before she walked out the door.

Got most of my to-do list done over the weekend. Still have to get the rest of the Christmas decorations put away and back up in the attic.

I started working on my pinwheel afghan too. It's going to be pretty and so far, it's been an easy to understand pattern. We'll see when I get to the tips (you can see what it will look like by clicking the link on the side).

Hopefully get Matthew to karate tonight. He earned his purple belt at his last class, but between sickness and the holidays, it's been several weeks and I know he would like to have it in his possession. Will try to get pictures of him with it on.

New Year - New Design

2009-01-01T19:15:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

I thought I would take a few minutes today and update the layout of my blog, plus add some links to my favorite webpages and to knitting projects I am working on.

This year I plan to knit, scrapbook, cross stitch and exercise more (don't we all).

Have two concert links to post. The first is to Matthew's first band concert. The second is to Danielle Christmas concert at school (in two segments). She did one other Christmas concert with The Arts Experience, but we didn't get it recorded. These were her final concerts of this school year as they are not doing a Spring Semester of TAE and in school she is taking Musical Theater instead of choir. Enjoy!!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has a blessed 2009!!!

Cruise Pics

2008-11-24T12:46:00.003-05:00

Just thought I would take a few minutes and post some of my cruise pictures. We had a blast. Loved, loved our balcony.

First Day of School

2008-09-28T20:09:00.004-04:00

Okay...I know this is over a month late. It's been very busy. Getting back into choirs and school, etc.

Danielle turned 15 about 2 weeks after this was taken and now starts Driver's Ed in a week. We are not sure we are ready for this:

Matthew tolerated having this taken....what can I say, he's all boy.

Now it's time to focus on getting ready for my cruise. We head for South Beach in 31 days and I'm so ready. Bring on the beach!!!

Knitting update

2008-09-28T19:32:00.002-04:00

I have been busy working on some small knitting projects and thought I would share with everyone.

One loom mittens - these are in Carolina Panthers colors. I have made several of these in different school colors.

A regualar toboggon type hat. I've also done several of these in various school and team colors.

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This is another hat, but with a waffle-weave look and a rolled brim.

I have made several of these scarves in purple, red and pink. The yarn is so very soft. I was getting it at my local Hobby Lobby for $0.99 skein but they quit selling it.

This is a toboggon hat and scarf I made for Brian....camo, of course.

And this is what I'm working on now. A scarf with fringe for Danielle. It's in her school colors.

She also wants a pair of fingerless mittens that I have a pattern for. I tried to make one, and didn't like the way it turned out. Guess I need to try again since she really wants them.

Loom Knitting

2008-07-08T20:25:00.004-04:00

I have been knitting with a plastic loom and I am having a blast. I have made scarves, blankets for my nephews, hats, etc. My newest creation is a purse for Danielle made using "plarn" (plastic yarn) from those grocery store bags. I got the idea from another blogger and tweaked them just a bit to fit what I wanted. Danielle is loving her purse and people have a hard time believing it's made from a grocery bag.

I even made a smaller one that can be used as a small purse...or even a gift bag.

Mom's First Race

2008-06-01T23:07:00.001-04:00

Mom was in town the weekend of Danielle's concert. After the concert, we dropped Danielle off at home and went up to Lowe's Motor Speedway to watch the Craftsman Truck Race. It was mom's first race experience. We had suite tickets, but we took her down into the grandstand for her to hear what the trucks sounded like when the green flag was waved.

Danielle's Spring Concert

2008-06-01T23:05:00.001-04:00

Danielle had her spring concert on May 16. I recorded it with my digital camera and then uploaded and combined the files together. Enjoy:

2008-04-30T12:59:00.002-04:00

Holy Moly....has it really been since January since I posted on this. I've thought about it numerous times, but keep pushing it to another day.

Things have been very, very busy.

Matthew has been working hard in karate and has earned his Green Belt/Black Stripe.

Danielle's sugar has been crazy. Good for awhile and then low....then good for awhile and then high. She's been sick a few times and that's not helped at all. We actually had to break out her Glucogon and use it to give her mini-doses of glucose a few nights that she just had some stubborn lows.

For Spring Break, she continued the tradition of traveling with The Arts Experience choirs. This year, they went to Washington DC. She got to go to the White House, Capital, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian and many other places. They sang at the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial.

Washington DC March 2008

We also walked in this year's JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. We are waiting for a few more donations that have been promised, but we will make our team goal when those are added in. YIPEE.

I'm sure there is a ton I've forgotten.... I've got to do this more often.

Danielle's Newest Baking Obsession

2008-01-11T11:13:00.000-05:00

Danielle has a new baking obsession. Three times in the last five days she has baked Banana Oatmeal Muffins. They are really good. She keeps having to bake more because they keep disappearing.

Celebrate Charlotte!

2008-01-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

Danielle and I are scrapbooking at Celebrate Charlotte! on Saturday. It's all day and the first time I've taken her to one this long. I hope she has a great time. I have a couple of surprises for her too.... I'll report on those later. I'll try to take some pictures to post too. We're going to have soooo much fun.

sigh Increased basals

2008-01-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

Danielle's sugar's have been all over the place lately, from normal, to just under 200 to sky high. After increasing her basal rates and still fighting morning ketones, the dr. gave us increases in all her basals, ratios, etc. Hopefully this will help. We think she is developing an insulin resistance due to hormone levels. We are up to 54u of TDD for basal. I knew this was coming, and I'm sure we'll go higher before it's all over and done with too.

We're also finding that her infusion site needs to be changed every 2 days instead of every 3. She seems to start seeing much higher numbers on day 3.

It's Raining!!!!

2008-01-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

We've been so dry that I tend to get very excited when it's raining. How sad is this?

Danielle's Choir Concert

2007-12-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

This is from Danielle's Choir Concert on Friday night. She is part of The Arts Experience Youth Oratorio. She has been with The Arts Experience for 5 years now and last year was lucky enough to go to New York City for tour. They sang at the Statue of Liberty and St. Patrick's Cathedral, shopped in China Town and Little Italy, saw Rockefeller Center and Times Square and had super seats to see Wicked on Broadway.

Enjoy their presentation of Nelly Bly:

My First NFL Game

2007-12-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

I had a blast.....

Panthers and Seahawks December 16 07

Seats were in the endzone...5 rows up.

YIKES - a week before Christmas

2007-12-19T10:24:00.000-05:00

Where has the time gone? Less than a week before Christmas and I'm no where near ready. Have hardly any shopping done. Looks like I'll be one of those people doing the last minute stuff. Good thing I'm off on Christmas Eve.

Danielle's sugars leveled out for about a week and now are crazy again. I'm thinking her two "hormonal" weeks are going to call for the upped basal rates. At least that is what we are trying. Of course, it doesn't help that this has happened at the holiday's....all the parties. And she's been baking. She loves making brownies from scratch and has made 3 batches in the past few days to share with her friends. That along with some molded candy pieces. I don't think she's been eating any of the sweets that she is making....just what others are making. Good thing the holiday's don't happen every month.

What a crazy Monday

2007-12-03T16:02:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like we're fighting highs again...then swings to lows by mid week. Good thing we have an endocrinologist appointment on Wednesday. I think we have tracked some trends and I'm ready to work on a solution to try and keep her sugar levels from swinging so much.

On the other hand, the day is beautiful here today. We have gorgoeus Carolina Blue skies, the temperature is super (54°) and the day is almost over (at least the "work" part of it).

2007-11-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

Well, gee, it's been awhile since I was on here. Guess I need to start doing this more often... Thanks to my CWD friends for reminding me I had this.

CWD is Children With Diabetes (www.childrenwithdiabetes.com) and is a super website/forum for learning things about diabetes. My friends there have taught me so much and have given me the courage to work with Danielle's basal and bolus rates some.

On the travel front, I didn't get to go on my Liberty cruise in October, but I still have the one planned for next October, but now it's on the Carnival Destiny. And it looks like Danielle will be going to Washington DC next year for choir tour and possibly to Austria in 2009. Wow...what a traveler. Wish I had these opportunities when I was growing up.

Well, got to go for now.... work is calling. Have a great Friday.

Upcoming Cruises

2007-06-09T19:40:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would share where I'm going on my upcoming cruises. Both are group cruises booked through CruiseCritic.com. A very informational website. If you are looking for an answer about a cruising question, I guarantee you can find it here.

Saints and Sinners, Part Three - Carnival Liberty - 8 days - 10/13/2007
http://www.cruisecritic.com/interests/groups.cfm?ID=107

Saturday - Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades)
Sunday - at sea
Monday - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tuesday - St. Thomas, USVI
Wednesday - Antigua
Thursday - Tortola, BVI
Friday - at sea
Saturday - Nassau, Bahamas
Sunday - Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades)

Saints and Sinners, Part Four - Imagination - Back to Back - 9 Days - 10/30/08
http://www.cruisecritic.com/interests/groups.cfm?ID=130

October 30th Itinerary
Thursday - Miami
Friday - Key West
Saturday - Calica
Sunday - Fun Day At Sea
Monday - Miami

November 3rd Itinerary
Monday - Miami
Tuesday - Fun Day At Sea
Wednesday - Grand Turk
Thursday - Half Moon Cay
Friday - Nassau
Saturday - Miami

Come join us and have some fun!!!!

The beginning

2007-06-09T19:26:00.000-04:00

A blog is something I've always wanted to do, but was never really sure what to "blog" about. I have finally decided to blog about my meager travel life. Since I have a trip to the beach coming up and two cruises booked, I thought it would be a great place to start. I hope you enjoy this as much as I hope I enjoy it.